1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming device, and more particularly to an image forming device that forms an image of an original document that has both image data and control data thereon.
In addition, the present invention relates to an information management device, and more particularly to an information management device capable of transmitting data to and receiving data from an image forming device that forms an image of an original document that has both image data and control data thereon.
Furthermore, the present invention relates to a system that comprises the image forming device and information management device noted above.
2. Background Information
A conventional copying machine that includes a copy prevention function is disclosed in Japanese Published Patent Application No. H07-154586. This device allows copies produced thereby to be traced in order to prevent one from counterfeiting paper currency by making color copies thereof. More specifically, this device adds tracking data to each copy, such as the serial number of the device and the date that the copy was produced, in the form of a yellow image that is difficult to detect with the naked eye.
In addition, another conventional technology that is well-known in the art is a copying machine that restricts special documents, such as paper currency, from being copied. An example of this technology is disclosed in Japanese Published Patent Application No. 2000-338833. When a special document such as paper currency is read into the device, it is compared to special document image data that has been preloaded in a memory means disposed in the device. If the image that was read in is determined to be a special document such as paper currency, the device will attempt to prohibit an unauthorized copy from being produced by storing data (such as fingerprint data) that uniquely identifies the individual who is operating the copying machine.
The copying machine that is disclosed in Japanese Published Patent Application No. 2000-338833 can effectively restrict copying when the original document to be copied is a special document like paper currency. In other words, this copying machine can restrict copying because image data on special documents such as paper currency can be preloaded therein.
However, the need to restrict copying is not limited to special documents. For example, there is a need to prevent one from making an unlimited number of copies of a publication protected by copyright (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9ccopyrighted materialxe2x80x9d). In addition, there are situations in which people at or above a certain rank within a company are authorized to copy internal corporate documents, but others in the company below that rank are not authorized to do so. However, the conventional technology described above is not capable of restricting copying in this manner.
In addition, there are situations in which copyrighted materials can be copied by paying a fee. The problem in these situations, however, is determining how much to charge. For example, one could leave this matter to the staff of the business in which the copying machine is located (e.g., a convenience store), but it will be burdensome for these individuals to calculate what fees should be charged for what type of copyrighted material.
The same problems exist when one uses an image forming device such as a printer or facsimile device to print an image that was scanned by a network connected scanner.
It is an object of the present invention to prohibit the unauthorized copying of both standard original documents and special original documents, and to make the process of restricting the copying of both types of original documents easier.
It is another object of the present invention to make the process of calculating the fees for copying copyrighted material easier.
In one aspect of the present invention, an image forming device forms images of original documents that have image data and control data, and is comprised of an original document reading means, a control data extraction means, and a processing means. The original document reading means reads the image data and control data on an original document. The control data extraction means extracts control data from the data read by the original document reading means. The processing means processes the image data read by the original document reading means and forms images based upon the control data extracted by the control data extraction means.
Original documents that are used in this device have image data and control data printed thereon. The image data and control data on each original document are read by the original document reading means. Control data is extracted from the data read from each original document, and the image forming process proceeds based upon this control data.
A variety of image forming processes can be easily conducted because control data is printed on each original document, the control data is read by the original document reading means, and the image forming process proceeds based on this control data.
In another aspect of the present invention, the control data serves to restrict the image forming process, and the processing means restricts the image forming process based upon the control data.
This makes it easier to restrict a variety of image forming processes.
In another aspect of the present invention, the control data serves to prohibit the image forming process, and the processing means prohibits the image forming process based upon the control data.
This not only makes it easier to prohibit the unauthorized image formation of special original documents such as paper currency, but also to prohibit the unauthorized image formation of general original documents.
In another aspect of the present invention, the image forming device further comprises an identification data acquiring means for acquiring identification data on the operator who is conducting image formation. In addition, the control data allows only pre-registered operators to conduct image formation, and the processing means proceeds with image formation only when the identification data acquired by the identification data acquiring means matches the pre-registered data.
Here, only the operators whose identity match a pre-registered list are allowed to conduct image formation. In addition, it is possible to restrict those pre-registered operators such that they are only authorized to produce images of certain original documents. This makes it easy to restrict a variety of image forming processes.
In another aspect of the present invention, the control data indicates that the image formation history of an original document is to be printed onto a copy thereof when image formation takes place, and the processing means both forms an image of an original document and prints the image formation history based upon the control data.
Here, the image formation history can be used because it is printed onto a copy of an original document. For example, this makes it easy to restrict the number of times an image of an original document can be formed.
In another aspect of the present invention, the image forming device further comprises a detection means that detects the number of times that the image forming process has occurred with respect to one original document, and the control data serves to authorize the image forming process to occur only a predetermined number of times with respect to one original document. In addition, the processing means executes the image forming process only when the number of times the image forming process has occurred with respect to one original document does not exceed a predetermined number.
This makes it easier to restrict the number of times the image forming process can be executed with an original document.
In another aspect of the present invention, the processing means subtracts the value 1 from the authorized number of times each time the image forming process has been executed for the original document, prints the remainder on each image of the original document formed during the image forming process, and restricts the number of images that can be formed from each image of the original document based upon the remainder printed thereon.
This allows the image forming device to easily restrict the number of times the image forming process is executed for copies of an original document by simply reading the original document and copies thereof.
In another aspect of the present invention, the control data indicates that the image forming process requires a fee to be paid, and further comprises a payment confirmation means that confirms that payment has been received from the operator conducting the image forming process. In addition, the processing means executes the image forming process after confirmation by the payment confirmation means.
This allows the operator of the image forming device to reduce his or her workload, because the image forming device will record the image forming fee data and the payment confirmation.
In another aspect of the present invention, the image forming device further comprises a fee recording means that records the image forming fee in accordance with the original document, and a display means that displays the fee charged. In addition, the control data includes data for displaying the image forming fee on the display means.
As noted above, this allows the operator to reduce his or her workload.
In another aspect of the present invention, an information management device is disclosed which is capable of transmitting data to and receiving data from an image forming device that forms images of original documents having control data included in the image data thereon. The information management device comprises a receiving means which receives data from the image forming device, a storage means that stores data associated with the image forming device, a control means that acquires data to be transmitted to the image forming device based upon data stored in the storage means in accordance with data from the image forming device, a transmission means that transmits the data acquired by the control means to the image forming device, and a management means that manages data related to the image forming process executed in the image forming device.
When the information management device receives data from the image forming device, data to be transmitted to the image forming device is produced in accordance with the data received from the image forming device, and the data produced thereby is transmitted to the image forming device. In addition, the information management device manages data related to the image forming process that is executed in the image forming device.
It will not be necessary for the image forming device to have a large volume of data and/or programs when controlling the variety of image forming processes therein, and thus the burden on the image forming device will be reduced.
In another aspect of the present invention, the storage means stores data on the operators who are authorized to operate the image forming process in the image forming device, the receiving means receives data related to the person operating the image forming device, the control means produces authorized/not authorized signals that indicate whether or not the operator operating the image forming device is an authorized operator based upon the data related to the person operating the image forming device, and the transmission means transmits the authorized/not authorized signals.
A large volume of data on operators can be stored together in the information management center. This feature is convenient in situations in which there are a large number of operators in an organization who are operating a large number of image forming devices therein.
In another aspect of the present invention, the storage means stores data on the fees related to the image forming processes in the image forming device, the receiving means receives processing data from the image forming device, the control means produces fee data based upon the processing data, and the transmission means transmits data the fee data in the image forming device. In addition, the information management device further comprises a means for transmitting data on fee collection that is based upon the fee data.
The information management device stores data on the fees related to the image forming processes in the image forming device, and produces fee data based upon the processing data when the processing data is sent from the image forming device. The fee data is displayed in the image forming device.
In addition, the information management device further comprises a means for transmitting data on fee collection that is based upon the fee data. Thus, for example, data on the fees to be withdrawn from an operator""s bank account can be sent to that bank, and those fees can be collected therefrom.
In another aspect of the present invention, an image formation/information management system comprises any one of the image forming devices of the present invention described above, and any one of the information management devices of the present invention described above.
These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment of the present invention.